La Bamba Casserole with Sides of Brown Rice & Organic Spring Scallions

I knew sending my child to Kindergarten would be an exciting adventure for him.  I anticipated that he would learn lots of new things, meet many new faces and more importantly begin to navigate his way in the world without me.   But the big surprise for me, I do have to admit, is that I entirely underestimated all the new things that I would learn and experience his first year of school.    Not only about being a mom, but about letting go.

During the hustle and bustle of trying to get him to school before the bell rang those first few weeks with a newborn and three-year old in tow, I found myself feeling very frazzled.  What an accomplishment it was just to get out the door each day.  Actually getting there was an entirely different and monumental task to hurdle.  I swear on the short walks to school that year, I spent more time chasing my three-year old than I care to remember.  For some reason he had acquired a fascination for following random birds with no regard for where I was, or where I needed to be.  Let’s just say that getting his older brother to school on time was not high on his priority list.   He’d been like that since day one, always following the beat of his own drum, and I would not have him be any other way; except maybe when we had somewhere we needed to be ; ).   -Continue>

Merle’s Chinese Chicken Salad in Red Cabbage Leaf Bowl served Garden Party Style.

Ramen Noodles:  those super long noodles I first discovered in college.  The affordable, yet tasty meal in a colorful package.  My go-to dinner in a hot pot when the spending money that needed to last all month had dwindled far too low.  Some might consider them a salty lesson in budgeting, but for the foodie they were an inspiration.  This 10-cent find, with a little imagination, was transformed into a secret ingredient hidden in the next Chopped champion’s wicker basket.  Quietly awaiting successful incorporation into a winning appetizer, entrée or dessert.

When deciding which recipe to post next, it occurred to me those very same noodles had a front row seat at some very joyful events in my life.  That’s because they can be found broken in a salad that has become a family food tradition when women in my family shower a Bride-to-Be or a new Mom-in-Waiting with joyful, new beginning wishes.  For me, this blog is in part about sharing JOY.  So posting this recipe is a joyful must.  Plus it is a recipe that my sister, on more than one occasion, specifically requested for her “keeper box”.  So in here, it will be. Read the rest of this entry »

Doug’s White Chicken Chili with Fresh Cilantro and Jalapeno Garnishes

My next recipe was given to me by my sister, yes the very same sister who doesn’t really cook.  The one to whom I have dedicated this blog, Lori Anne.  You might wonder how it came to be that she gave me a recipe, a recipe so good and well-received that it has ended up in my keeper box filed under the letter “C”, for “Chili”.  Well, this is not your average chili. It is spectacular.  There is always a story, right?  Well here it is.

My little sister invited my husband, son and I over for a quick dinner before trick-or-treating with our kids.  Lori’s favorite holiday is Halloween.  She always goes all out.  That year she told me she’d found a recipe she wanted to try.  She saw it in a cookbook that she had picked up while on vacation.  She was going to make it for dinner. Hmmm, Lori was going to make us something for dinner.  I have to admit, I was intrigued the moment she said “I found a recipe in a cookbook”.  It is not that Lori can’t cook.   Rather, it isn’t her thing.  She’d prefer to have someone else do the cooking while she kept them company.  She just isn’t the type to peruse cookbooks, much less do it for leisure while on vacation.  Or, so I thought.

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